The present invention relates generally to a multi-station exercise machine and, more particularly, to a cable and pulley system with an optimum reduction in the pulleys which support the exercise weight-operating cable of the machine.
An exercise machine which offers a variety of exercise routines operated from as many as five stations located about the machine and cable-connected to a centrally located weight stack, is already well known, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,972 for xe2x80x9cExercise Machine With Multiple Exercise Stationsxe2x80x9d issued to Rasmussen et al. on Mar. 7, 1989. The routines are, of course, operated one at a time, using only one pull cable accessible at the selected exercise station, while the remaining four cable lengths not in use are supported on pulleys awaiting their turn in use at their cooperating four exercise stations. As is well understood, this is possible because of assigned functions to the pulleys, most for cable-guiding at stationary locations on the exercise machine support structure and interspersed therewith, a lesser number of exercise weight-controlling pulleys which xe2x80x9cfloatxe2x80x9d within the confines of the exercise machine support structure. The tradeoff in achieving multi-station exercise options in a single exercise machine, as in the ""972 and other known patents, is the complexity of the cable and pulley support system, such as in the overall number of pulleys as dictated by the assigned functions needed during exercise use of the machine.
Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the foregoing and other shortcomings of cable and pulley support systems of a multi-station exercise machine.
More particularly, it is an object for a multi-station exercise machine to simplify in its exercise weight-operating cable system, at least in number, the pulleys providing the support needed for the cables, as well as providing other noteworthy benefits, all as will be better understood as the description proceeds.
Underlying this achievement is the recognition that the exercise weight stack can be used to advantage not just, as is self evident, as a resistance during the use mode of the machine, but also, as was not self evident, as a ballast to hold the cables taut, i.e., without slack, during non-use intervals.